Houses are typically built with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to control the temperature of indoor air. Alternatively, there are other ways of controlling the temperature, such as, for example, underfloor radiant heating and radiant cooling systems. Underfloor heating systems can have advantages over the widely used HVAC systems. For example, underfloor radiant heating systems can provide better indoor air quality and moisture control, reduce mold and bacteria, and reduce allergens because they use convection, rather than forced air, to transfer energy (i.e., reducing the amount of bacteria and mold that is circulated by blowing air). In addition, underfloor heating systems may use less energy for the same amount of temperature control because radiant systems typically use lower operating temperatures and faster warm up times as compared to other types of systems.
Two types of modern underfloor radiant heating systems include hydronic systems and electric systems. Hydronic systems typically heat the floor by circulating a solution consisting of water and anti-freeze in a closed loop under the floor using a complex series of tubes and/or pipes, which can be time consuming to install and expensive to operate (e.g., requiring separate equipment to heat the solution). On the other hand, electric systems typically pass electricity through electrical resistance elements to generate heat. Existing electrical systems typically use resistive wires to generate heat, which can be fragile and subject to breakage.
Regardless of the type of radiant underfloor heating system, the installation process can be cumbersome due to the number of separate layers that must be installed in separate steps. For example, layers such as an underlayment and vapor barrier can be used with flooring systems. The vapor barrier layer can protect the floor from moisture and the underlayment layer can serve several purposes such as providing cushioning, noise dampening, insulation, and foot comfort. Because of such functionalities, a vapor barrier layer and underlayment layer can increase the lifetime of a floor. However, as noted above, these layers are typically installed as separate layers, requiring additional installation time and expense.